Material transfer apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

In a material transfer system, material from an excavation is drawn into a vessel by suction from a vacuum source. The vessel has discharge flaps at the bottom that are held closed by the suction. When the weight of the material in the vessel reaches a predetermined value, the flaps open and the material is discharged from the vessel. After the discharge, counterweights almost close the flaps and the suction seals the discharge flaps so that additional material is drawn into the vessel. The vessel includes a vibratory section and has sides that slope outwardly from top to bottom. The material entering the vessel contacts the vibratory section at a predetermined angle and is redirected to the discharge flaps without any caking on the vessel walls. The opening through the discharge flaps is larger than the inlet through which the material enters the vessel so that objects entering the vessel are discharged.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to material transfer arrangements and, moreparticularly, to movement of materials at excavation sites under vacuumpressure.

2. Background of the Invention

The invention generally concerns apparatus that collecting soil typematerial from excavations during pipe replacement or similar diggingoperations. In such operations, it is necessary to extract soil from ahole to obtain access to underground apparatus such as a pipe. As iswell known, manual removal of such material from an excavation is bothlabor intensive and costly.

Devices to transfer materials between locations by collecting materialin a container such as a hopper and then dumping the collected materialhave been used extensively. U.S. Pat. No. 1,211,310 issued Jan. 2, 1917to L. A. Griffin, for example, discloses an excavation handler with adump valve in which material enters a hopper under steam pressure and isdumped through a small manually operated valve in the hopper bottom.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,130 issued Jan. 21, 1969 to J. G. Milner employs ahopper to collect material using a self-contained vacuum source to drawthe material into the hopper. The vacuum source includes a level controlswitch operative to remove the vacuum when the hopper is full. Uponremoval of the vacuum, the hopper is vented to the atmosphere and thecollected material is dumped out of the hopper through a dischargespout.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,115,194 issued Oct. 27, 1914 to W. G. Hay disclosesapparatus in which material enters a container through an inlet undervacuum pressure and is collected therein. The bottom of the container isconical in shape and includes an aperture held closed by the vacuumpressure. When the weight of the collected material exceeds apredetermined value, the valve is forced open so that the collectedmaterial drops through the aperture.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,582 issued Feb. 29, 1992 to H. Siemetzki controlsthe level of material collected in a hopper by means of a solenoid valveat the hopper inlet. Upon receiving signals from sensors inside thehopper, the solenoid valve closes the inlet. In another materialtransfer device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,535 issued Oct. 30,1979 to K. C. Smith, movement of collected material in a hopper iscontrolled by determining the weight of the hopper and its contents.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,671 issued Jun. 2, 1981 to J. B. Arnold utilizes acylindrical hopper having an expandable bellows portion. Particulatematerial such a grain, sand or cement are supplied to the hopper throughan upstream conduit angled so that the particulate material impinges ona sheet metal box which absorbs kinetic energy and redirects thematerial into the hopper.

Material removed from excavation sites generally contains compressiblematerials such as soil mixed with other larger objects such as rocks anddebris. In using the aforementioned hopper arrangements at excavationsites to replace manual removal, soil in the collected material tends topack on the sides. Such packing of compressible material impedes bothcollection and discharge of material. The hoppers in the aforementionedarrangements that employ funnel shaped bottom portions to directmaterial discharge through a restricted aperture in the funnel arelikely to suffer from caking of collected material on the sides of thehopper and in the funnel which tends to block material dumping. Also,rocks and other debris in the collected material in the funnel interferewith closure of the discharge mechanism. In the cylindrical hoppersystem of aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,671, particulate materialcan cake and accumulate on the kinetic energy absorption box and rocksand debris falling on the kinetic energy absorber may interfere withflow of the particulate material.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a material transfer device having a topsection that includes a vacuum inlet, a middle section that includes amaterial inlet and an openable bottom section held in a closed positionagainst the middle section by suction from the vacuum inlet. Material isdrawn into the middle section through the material inlet by the suctionapplied to the vacuum inlet. The bottom section opens in response to theweight of accumulated material exceeding a predetermined value and thematerial is discharged.

According to one aspect of the invention, the material entering throughthe material inlet is directed to a vibratory portion of the middlesection. Upon contact with the vibratory portion, the material isredirected to the bottom section. Advantageously, vibration of thevibratory portion in response to the vacuum pressure and impingingmaterial prevents caking of compressible material drawn into the device.

According to another aspect of the invention, the bottom section opensin response to a predetermined weight of the material redirected fromthe vibratory portion. A counterweight positions the bottom section inan almost closed state after the discharge of the material.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, wall or walls of themiddle section extend downward and outward from the top section to thebottom section so that the material contacting the vibratory portion isredirected to the bottom portion without touching the middle section.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the bottom sectionincludes a plurality of plates which pivot on the bottom edge of themiddle section to close so that accumulated material is held in thedevice.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the material inletdirects the material into the middle section to contact the vibratoryportion at a predetermined angle.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the middle section isa hollow truncated rectangular pyramid having its smaller endintersecting the top section and its larger end intersecting the bottomsection of the material transfer device.

In an embodiment of the material transfer device illustrative of theinvention, material is collected in a truncated rectangular pyramidshaped hopper having a vacuum inlet at a smaller top end and a pair offlapper type doors forming a larger bottom end. Excavated material isdrawn into the middle section through an inlet in one side of the hopperand is directed to a vibratory membrane on an opposite side of themiddle section at a predetermined angle. The vibratory membraneredirects the contacting material to the flapper type doors forming thebottom section. When the weight of the redirected material exceeds apredetermined value, the doors open to discharge the collected material.Counterweights on the doors move the doors to an almost closed state andthe vacuum pressure causes the doors to fully close. The hopper thenreceives and retains additional excavated material.

In accordance with the invention, compressible material entering thedevice is redirected to the bottom section by the membrane set intovibration responsive to the vacuum pressure and the impinging materialwithout caking on the sides of the middle section. Further, thepyramidal shape of the middle section assures that rocks and debris donot interfere with material discharge through the doors of the bottomsection.

The invention will be better understood from the following more detaileddescription taken with the accompanying drawings and claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a system for transferring material from an excavationillustrative of the invention;

FIG. 2 depicts a side view of a material transfer vessel illustrative ofthe invention:

FIG. 3 depicts a top view of the material transfer vessel shown in FIG.2;

FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of the material transfer vessel thatillustrates the construction of a vibratory section thereof;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the vibratory section of FIG. 4 showing across bar and its connection to a rubber membrane of the vibratorysection;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a flapper type door of the material transfervessel shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the flap type door shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a portable system adapted to transfer soil frombetween an excavation and a remote site in accordance with theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 depicts a general view of a material transfer system illustrativeof the invention adapted to remove material from an excavation. In FIG.1, the transfer system includes a hopper 10, a material conduit 2 (e.g.,a hose) having an outlet end on a sidewall of the hopper 10 and an openinlet inserted into an excavation 1. A vacuum source 7 is coupled to atop section of the hopper 10 through a vacuum conduit 4 in which afilter 6 is inserted.

Suction is supplied to the top of the hopper 10 from vacuum source 7which draws air from the hopper 10 through the filter 6 and vacuumconduit 4. The suction at the top of the hopper 10 functions to drawmaterial from the excavation 1 into the hopper 10 through the materialconduit 2. Material entering the hopper 10 from the material conduit 2contacts a side wall opposite the material inlet and is redirected tothe bottom of the hopper 10. When the weight of the materialaccumulating on a normally closed bottom of the hopper 10 exceeds apredetermined value, the bottom opens and the accumulated material isdischarged to a location 8 underneath the hopper 10. After the materialis evacuated from excavation 1 and work in the excavation is completed,the system shown in FIG. 1 may be used to replace the evacuated materialinto the excavation 1. To refill the excavation, the hopper 10 is movedover the excavation 1 and the open inlet of the material conduit 2 is beplaced over the material discharged at location 8.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the hopper 10 and FIG. 3 shows a detailedtop view of the hopper 10. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the hopper10 has a top section 101, a middle section 110 with four side walls 112,113, 114 and 118 and a bottom section 130. The top section 101 isrectangular in shape and includes a vacuum inlet 103 through which airis drawn from the hopper middle section by the vacuum source 7. The sidewall 112 of the middle section 110 includes a material inlet 120 that isconnected to one end of the material conduit 2. The side wall 114opposite the side wall 112 with material inlet 120 has a vibratoryportion 116 which includes a neoprene or other type diaphragm. Thematerial inlet 120 is cylindrical and has an axis directed so thatmaterial entering from conduit 2 impinges on the vibratory portion 116at a predetermined angle. The predetermined angle between the vibratoryportion and the axis of the material inlet may be between 50° and 70°and is preferably 60°.

After striking vibratory portion 116, the impinging material isredirected downward to the bottom section 130. The walls 112, 113, 114and 118 which form the middle section 110 extend downward and outwardfrom the smaller rectangular top section 101 to the larger bottomsection 130. Each of side walls 112, 113, 114 and 118 is trapezoidal inshape. Side walls 113 and 118 have triangular shaped bottom edges asshown in FIG. 2 while the side walls 112 and 114 have horizontal bottomedges. The bottom section of the hopper 10 includes two rectangularshaped flapper doors 132 and 136. The flapper door 132 is pivotallyattached to the bottom of the side wall 112 by a hinge 135 and flapperdoor 136 is pivotally attached to the bottom of the side wall 114 by ahinge 139. Each flapper door 132 and 136 extends from its hinge to meetat a line below the lower edges of side walls 112 and 114 as shown inFIG. 2.

A counterweight 134 attached to the flapper door 132 biases the flapperdoor to pivot clockwise. Similarly, a counterweight 138 on the flapperdoor 136 biases that door to pivot counter clockwise. Thus, the flapperdoors are normally biased by the counterweights 134 and 138 to closeagainst the triangular bottom edges of the side walls 113 and 118. Withflapper doors 132 and 134 closed, the suction from vacuum source 7 iseffective to draw material from the material conduit 2 into the interiorof the middle section 110 of the hopper 10. As the weight of accumulatedmaterial redirected downward from vibratory portion 116 increases, thepressure to pivot the flapper door 132 counterclockwise and the pressureto pivot the flapper door 136 clockwise increases.

The inlet 120 is angled with respect to the hopper 10 so that materialentering the inlet 120 from the material conduit 2 is directed againstthe vibratory portion 116 of the side wall 114. The membrane ofvibratory portion 116 is drawn inward by the suction created by thevacuum source 7 and is expanded outward by material from the materialinlet 120. As a result, the membrane is set into a vibrating mode. Thisvibration of the membrane prevents compressible material from materialinlet 120 from caking on the vibratory portion 116. The material isredirected from the vibrating membrane of the vibratory portion 116 toflapper doors 132 and 136 and is thereby prevented from accumulating onany of the side walls 112, 113, 114 and 118. Since the flapper doors 132and 136 extend across the entire bottom section 130, the redirectedmaterial only falls on the flapper doors 132 and 134 of the bottomsection 130.

When the weight of the accumulated material on the closed flapper doors132 and 134 exceeds a predetermined value, the flapper doors 132 and 136pivot open. Opening of the flapper doors 132 and 136, removes thesuction in the material inlet 120 of the hopper 10 so that materialstops entering from the material inlet 120 and the material accumulatedon flapper doors 132 and 136 is discharged through the opening made bypivoted doors 132 and 136. Since the flapper doors extend the full areaof the bottom section, all of the material including rocks and otherdebris that entered through the smaller cross section material inlet 120are discharged along with the soil-like compressible material.

FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of the hopper 10 which illustrates theconstruction of the vibratory portion 116 on side wall 114. In FIG. 4,there is shown side wall 114 with vibratory portion 116 therein. Thevibratory portion 116 includes a rubber membrane 220, a frame 206, crossbars 201 and 203, bolts 207 that connect the frame 206 to the side wall116 and handles 122 and 124 (not shown). Also shown are the flapperdoors 132 and 136 and the counterweights 134 and 138. The edges of therubber membrane 220 are placed between the frame 206 and the edges of anopening for the vibratory portion 116 in the sidewall 114. The frame 206and the rubber membrane 220 are then attached to the edges of theopening in the side wall 116 by bolts 207 which are spaced along theframe. The arrangement of the frame 206 on the side wall 114 seals theedges of the rubber membrane 220 in the side wall 114.

Upper cross bar 201 extends horizontally across the rubber diaphragm 220and is attached by ends 209 and 213 to opposed edges of the side wall114 by pairs of the bolts 207. A center post structure 223 connects thecross bar 201 to the rubber membrane 220 to limit the travel of therubber membrane in response to the vacuum pressure from inlet 103.Similarly, the lower cross bar 203 extends horizontally across therubber diaphragm 220 and is attached by ends 211 and 215 to the edges ofside wall 114 by pairs of the bolts 207. A center post structure 225connects the cross bar 203 to the rubber membrane 220 to limit thetravel of the rubber membrane in response to the vacuum pressure frominlet 103.

FIG. 5 shows the structure of the cross bar 203 and its connections tothe side wall 116 and to the rubber membrane 220 in greater detail.Referring to FIG. 5, one bolt 207 extends through apertures in side wall114, rubber membrane 220, a washer 314 and the L shaped end section 209and the assembly is held in place by a nut 318. Similarly, another ofbolts 207 is inserted through aligned apertures in side wall 114, rubbermembrane 220, a washer 319 and the L shaped end section 213 and theresulting assembly is held in place by a nut 320.

The center post structure 223 includes a threaded post 323, nuts 307 and311, washers 301 and 303 and helical spring 305. The threaded post 323extends through a center aperture in cross bar 203 and through anaperture in rubber membrane 220. The washer 303 is connected to thethreaded post 323 by welding or other means and the nut 307 is tightenedagainst the washer 301 so that the rubber membrane is held betweenwashers 301 and 303. The helical spring 305 extends on the outside ofthe cross bar 203 from a nut 311 at the outer end of the threaded post323 to the surface of the cross bar 203 surrounding the center aperturetherein. The helical spring compresses in response to the vacuumpressure from inlet 103 and determines the extent of travel of therubber membrane into the opening in the side wall 114.

In operation, the rubber membrane 220 is held in a sealed state againstthe edges of the opening in the side wall 114 by the frame 206. Whensuction is applied through the vacuum inlet 103, the rubber membrane isdrawn into interior of the hopper 10 and is restrained by thecompression of the helical spring 305 of the center post structure 223.Material drawn into the hopper 10 through the material inlet 120 strikesthe rubber membrane 220 at a predetermined angle and forces the rubbermembrane outward. The combination of suction from the vacuum inlet 103and the impinging material from the material inlet 120 at thepredetermined angle causes the rubber membrane 220 to vibrate. Thisvibration of the rubber membrane 220 prevents caking of compressiblematerial from the excavation so that the material striking the rubbermembrane 220 is redirected without caking to the flapper doors 132 and136 which form the bottom section 130 of the hopper.

FIG. 6 shows a plan view of a flapper door structure that may be used asthe flapper door 136 in the hopper depicted in FIG. 2. FIG. 7 shows aside view of the flapper door 136. As shown in FIG. 6, the flapper doorincludes an aluminum plate 405 that provides backing for a rubber plate401 which extends beyond the aluminum plate. The aluminum and rubberplates are held in juxtaposed relationship by end bolts 410 at an end415 of the flapper door and by sheet metal type screws 425 extendingthrough the aluminum plate 405 and the rubber plate 401 from the surfaceof the aluminum plate 405. As aforementioned the flapper door includes ahinge portion (not shown) inward of an end 415 that permits the flapperdoor 136 to pivot around the bottom edge of the side wall 116. Theflapper door 132 has substantially the same construction and isstructured to pivot around the bottom edge of side wall 112.

The counterweight 138 is attached to the aluminum plate by rods 415 and420. Flapper door 132 shown in FIG. 2 is similarly arranged. Inoperation, the flapper door 136 pivots to close against the diagonalbottom edges of the side walls 113 and 118 and the flapper door 132pivots to close against the diagonal bottom edges of the side walls 113and 118 in response to the weight of the counterweights 138 and 134,respectively. While suction is applied to the interior of the hopper 10,the rubber plates extending beyond the aluminum backing plates 405assure that the flapper doors seal the bottom section 130.

The flapper doors remain in closed against the bottom edges of sidewalls 112, 113, 114 and 118 until the weight of material redirected fromthe rubber membrane 220 exceeds a predetermined value. The flapper doors132 and 136 then open and the material accumulated thereon isdischarged. After the discharge of the material, the flapper doors 132and 136 are brought to an almost closed state and the vacuum pressureseals the flapper doors against the sides of the hopper 10. The suctionat the material inlet 120 of the hopper 10 is then reestablished andadditional material is drawn into the hopper 10 through material conduit2.

FIG. 8 illustrates a portable system adapted to remove soil fromexcavations in accordance with the invention. In FIG. 8, the hopper 10,the vacuum source 7, the filter 6 and conduits 2 and 4 are placed in atruck 12 for movement to an excavation site. The hopper 10 is mounted onan extendible boom 9 so that it may be positioned over the area 8 wherematerial from an excavation is to be transferred from the excavation 1.When in position over the area 8, the vacuum conduit 4 is coupled to thevacuum source 7 through the filter 6 and the material conduit 2 iscoupled between the material inlet 120 of the hopper 10 and theexcavation 1 from which material is to be removed.

Material from the excavation 1 is drawn into the material inlet 120 andis directed at a preset angle (e.g., 60°) to the vibratory portion 116of the hopper. Upon contact with the vibratory portion 116, the materialis redirected to the doors 132 and 136 of the bottom section 130. Afterthe weight of the accumulated material on the doors 132 and 136 exceedsa prescribed value, the doors 132 and 136 open to discharge the materialat the area 8.

After the material discharge, the door counterweights 134 and 138 pivotthe doors 132 and 136 into an almost closed state and the vacuumpressure from vacuum source 7 seals the bottom section 130. Additionalmaterial from the excavation 1 is then drawn into the hopper 10. Theoperation is repeated until all the soil to be removed from theexcavation 1 is removed. Subsequent to completion of repair or otherwork in the excavation, the hopper 10 is moved over the excavation 1 andthe material conduit 2 is placed in proximity to the material in thearea 8. The vacuum source 7 is turned on and the material from the area8 is transferred to the excavation 1 through the hopper 10 as describedwith respect to the soil removal operation.

It is to be understood that the specific embodiment described herein ismerely illustrative of the spirit and scope of the invention.Modifications can readily be made by those skilled in the art inaccordance with the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A material transfer device comprising:a topsection including a vacuum inlet for applying suction to the device; amiddle section including plurality of sides, each side extendingdownward and outward from the top section, a first of the plurality ofsides including a material inlet and a second of the plurality of sidesopposite the first side including a vibratory part vibrating in responseto vacuum pressure in the middle section caused by the suction; and anopenable bottom section held in a closed position against the pluralityof downward and outward extending sides of the middle section by suctionapplied to the vacuum inlet, wherein material entering the middlesection through the material inlet in response to the suction applied tothe vacuum inlet is directed to contact the vibratory part of the secondside and is redirected from the vibratory part to the openable bottomsection.
 2. A material transfer device according to claim 1, wherein thevibratory part vibrates responsive to vacuum pressure in the middlesection and contact with the material from the material inlet.
 3. Amaterial transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the redirectedmaterial accumulates on the bottom section and the bottom section opensin response to a predetermined weight of the accumulated material.
 4. Amaterial transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the bottomportion comprises a plurality of plates each pivotally attached to abottom edge of the middle section.
 5. A material transfer deviceaccording to claim 4, wherein the means for biasing the bottom sectionagainst the middle section includes a counterweight attached to each ofthe plurality of plates.
 6. A material transfer device according toclaim 1, wherein the material inlet directs the material drawn into themiddle section to contact the vibratory part at a predetermined angle.7. A material transfer device according to claim 6, wherein thepredetermined angle is in the range between 50° and 70°.
 8. A materialtransfer device according to claim 1, wherein the middle sectioncomprises hollow truncated pyramid having a smaller cross-section endintersecting the top section and a larger cross-section end intersectingthe bottom section.
 9. A material transfer device according to claim 8,wherein the bottom section comprises first and second plates, each platebeing pivotally attached to an opposing edge of the larger cross-sectionend of the hollow truncated pyramid.
 10. A material transfer deviceaccording to claim 9, wherein each plate has a counterweight attachedthereto for biasing the plate against bottom edges of the truncatedpyramid to close the material transfer device.
 11. A material transfersystem for transferring material including compressible material betweenan excavation site and a location remote from the excavation,comprising:a vacuum source for applying suction; and a hopper whichcomprises:an upper section including a suction inlet coupled to thevacuum source for applying suction; a middle section including pluralsides each extending downward and outward from the upper section, amaterial inlet in a first of the plural sides coupled to the excavationsite or to the location remote from the excavation site and a second ofthe plural sides opposite the first side including a vibratory partopposite the material inlet in the first side; and an openable lowersection held in a closed position against the downward and outwardextending sides of the middle section by the suction applied to thevacuum inlet, wherein, the compressible material entering the middlesection from the excavation through the material inlet in response tothe suction applied to the suction inlet contacts the vibratory partwhich vibrates in response to vacuum pressure in the middle section andthe contacting material to redirect the material to the lower sectionand the lower section is opened responsive to a predetermined weight ofmaterial accumulated thereon while the suction is applied.
 12. Amaterial transfer system according to claim 11, further comprising amaterial conduit coupled between the material inlet and the excavationfor transporting material from the excavation to the material inlet. 13.A material transfer system according to claim 12, wherein the redirectedmaterial accumulates on said openable bottom section and the bottomsection opens to discharge the material accumulated thereon at thelocation remote from the excavation when the weight of the accumulatedmaterial exceeds a predetermined value.
 14. A material transfer systemaccording to claim 11, further comprising a material conduit coupledbetween the material inlet and the location remote from the excavationfor transporting material from the location remote from the excavationto the material inlet.
 15. A material transfer system according to claim14, wherein the redirected material accumulates on said openable bottomsection and the bottom section opens to discharge the materialaccumulated thereon to the excavation when the weight of the accumulatedexceeds a predetermined value.
 16. In a material transfer systemincluding a hopper having a top section, a middle section with sidewalls extending downward and outward from the top section, and anopenable bottom section, a method for transferring material comprisingthe steps of:applying suction to a vacuum inlet in the top section;drawing material into the hopper through a material inlet in a firstdownward and outward extending side wall of the middle section andholding the bottom section closed against the downward and outwardextending sidewalls of the middle section responsive to the suction;contacting the material drawn into the hopper with a vibratory portionforming a part of a second downward and outward extending sidewall ofthe middle section opposite the material inlet in the first sidewall ata predetermined angle to redirect the material to the bottom section;vibrating the vibratory portion responsive to vacuum pressure in themiddle section and the contacting with the material drawn into thehopper; and opening the bottom section to discharge the redirectedmaterial in response to the weight of the redirected materialaccumulated on the bottom section exceeding a predetermined value whilethe suction is applied.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the bottomsection comprises a plurality of doors each having a counterweightattached thereto and further comprising the steps of:almost reclosingthe doors of the bottom section in response to the counterweights; andsealing the doors of the bottom section responsive to the suction.
 18. Asystem for moving soil type material between an excavation site andanother location comprising:a vacuum source for applying suction; and asoil type material holding container including:a top section comprisinga vacuum inlet coupled to the vacuum source; a middle section comprisinga plurality of sidewalls each extending downward and outward from thetop section, a first of the plurality of sidewalls including a materialinlet coupled to the soil type material to be moved by a materialconduit and a second of the plurality of sidewalls opposite the firstplurality of sidewalls including a vibratory part opposite the materialinlet; and a bottom section comprising a pair of openable doorsextending across bottom edges of downward and outward extendingsidewalls of the middle section and held in a closed position againstthe sidewalls of the middle section by the suction from the vacuuminlet, wherein, the soil type material drawn into the material inlet bythe suction from the vacuum inlet contacts the vibratory part at apredetermined angle and is redirected to the bottom section, and thevibratory part opposite the material inlet vibrates responsive to vacuumpressure in the middle section and force of the soil type materialcontacting the vibratory part at the predetermined angle.
 19. A systemfor moving soil type material between an excavation site and anotherlocation according to claim 18, wherein the top section is smaller inarea the bottom section and the middle section extends outward anddownward from the top section to the bottom section whereby soil typematerial only contacts the vibratory portion.
 20. A system for movingsoil type material between an excavation site and another locationaccording to claim 18, wherein each of the doors includes acounterweight, the pair of doors pivot open to discharge the soil typematerial in response to a predetermined amount of the soil type materialaccumulating on the doors and the counterweights pivot the doors towarda closed position after the discharge of the soil type material.
 21. Asystem for moving soil type material between an excavation site andanother location according to claim 18, wherein an area of the materialinlet through which the soil type material is to be drawn into themiddle section is smaller than an area of the bottom section to whichthe soil type material is redirected.